


Getting to Know You

by Joe_Reaves



Series: Learning From Experience [2]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash, Shanghai 2007
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-15
Updated: 2010-04-15
Packaged: 2017-10-08 23:18:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joe_Reaves/pseuds/Joe_Reaves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mark gets to know Sebastian a bit better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting to Know You

Mark walked out of the stewards' room with Sebastian, moving to one side as Lewis stalked past them in a temper. He hoped Lewis would be able to recover his equilibrium before tomorrow's qualifying or he'd be as likely to put it in the wall as on pole.

"Want to grab something to eat?" he asked Sebastian.

Smiling a slightly confused smile, Sebastian nodded. "That would be very pleasant. Would you like to come back to my trailer?"

Mark shook his head. "We'll go to mine, mate. The reporters will be looking for you at yours, trying to get a quote now your starting penalty's been rescinded. I'll even cook for you," he added with a friendly smile. His trailer would definitely be a better bet; he didn't want them to be interrupted.

"Thank you," Sebastian answered automatically, not sure why Mark had suddenly decided to be so friendly towards him.

Mark leaned closer, still smiling. "Stop over-thinking things."

"Sorry," he said. "But this is very confusing to me. I haven't been here long enough to know many people outside my team and now you're suddenly acting like," he paused, looking for the right words in English. "My new best friend. I do not understand why."

"Does there have to be a why?" Mark asked, jogging up the steps to his trailer and unlocking the door. "I like you."

He shut the door behind them both and gestured to one of the comfortable leather couches. "Stretch out and make yourself comfortable. I'll grill some chicken if that sounds good to you." He smiled. "So what do you think of Shanghai so far?"

Sebastian did as Mark suggested and stretched out, turning so he could rest his arms on the arm of the couch and watch Mark in the kitchen. "It's nice. I'm worried about this typhoon they say is heading our way; I don't think I want to race in the middle of a storm like that." He shrugged. "Hopefully it'll miss us or get here after we're finished. I wish I had the time to sightsee though. We get to travel to all these exotic places and spend most of it in a garage or a car. If it wasn't for the TV channels being in Chinese, you couldn't even tell where we were."

Mark was moving around the small kitchen efficiently as he listened to Sebastian talk. "You get used to it. Some of the tracks we visit offer more of a chance to get out and about. A lot of the drivers live in Monaco so it's not unusual to find groups of us going out to dinner or round to someone's place while we're there. As for everywhere else..." He shrugged. "Sightseeing is for the off-season, what there is of it. You have to come down to Tasmania one year."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "I've heard about that. Are you just trying to trick me into joining your trek around the state?"

Mark laughed. "Would that be so bad? You get to see the country and raise money for charity at the same time. Besides, I could promise you some good company."

"I keep fit as much as most drivers, but that just sounds insane to me," Sebastian told him. "But if the offer still holds, I'll be glad to meet you at the finish line," he added with a grin.

Mark shook his head and grumbled. "Someone warned you about the trip, didn't they?"

Grinning, Sebastian inclined his head. "I'm not telling you who it was though."

He brought the food over and handed Sebastian a plate. "Tuck in."

Sebastian attacked it hungrily. The work out regime he was on combined with the work involved in a race weekend and the fact he was still a teenager meant he was always hungry. His work outs were mainly to build muscle, his metabolism didn't need any help getting rid of the calories. Every time he looked up, Mark was looking at him. He blushed and looked down at his plate again. There was something about the other man's expression as he watched him that made him feel shy.

"Something wrong?" Mark asked, trying to sound innocent.

"You're watching me." Sebastian shifted in his seat and put the now empty plate down. "And it's not just now. It seems like every time I've looked up for the last week, you've been there and we're not even in the same team!"

Mark smiled. "You noticed. I thought I was being a bit more subtle than that."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "That was you being subtle? You need to work on that."

"Fine," Mark sighed, trying to sound put upon. "I was watching you. You're cute and you're not a bad driver, when you're watching where you're going."

Flushing at the reminder of their last on track meeting, Sebastian smiled a little self-consciously. "I'm cute?" He looked suspicious. "Is this some kind of a joke?"

"No joke," Mark said softly. "I think we could be friends and I really do think you're very cute."

"You have a girlfriend!" Sebastian squeaked.

"I do," Mark said, muffling a smile. "But she's mainly cover. She knows that being seen out with a guy instead of the traditional beautiful woman that F1 drivers normally spend their time with would make it a lot harder for me."

"Oh," Sebastian said quietly. He wasn't sure what to do. He did like the other man and he enjoyed talking to him but he hardly had time for romancing a woman let alone another man and he wasn't sure how that would work anyway.

Mark smiled again and reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "Just relax, kid. Nothing's going to happen unless we both want it to. Now why don't you head back to your team and get ready for this afternoon's practice session and I'll see you later. Good luck tomorrow if I don't see you before and good luck for the race too."

Sebastian stood up, uncertainly. He didn't want his hesitation to put an end to their talks. He liked Mark and he hoped to learn from him. He blushed suddenly as a little voice helpfully pointed out exactly what Mark could teach him.

Resting a hand on his back, Mark guided him to the door. "Just relax, mate. I'll catch you later. I promise." He pulled a card from a drawer in his desk and scribbled something on the back of it. "And if I don't, you can always call me."


End file.
